I reserved judgement about the last post about clammers, but i just had an experience of my own.

I went out to the tidal flats to catch the fallling tide and the returning blackies. Yesteday, i saw where the clammers were working and scouted out an area a half mile away. This morning, after i had shot my blackie, a clammer comes down the shoreline. Thinking he will keep going once he sees me, i stand up and move the decoys into deeper water. he then stop not 50 yards directly in front of me and starts digging. the only explanation for this behavior that i could recon, was that he is passive aggressively trying to get me off 'his' flats. I put down my gun and walk over to him. I ask why he would walk a half a mile and choose right in front of me in a 500 acre tidal flat to start digging. he was pleasant about it, but claimed he didnt see me and was just planning to dig there. I said its not even safe and that if a duck comes, im shooting it. I walked away muttering and said i woudl move farther down. I guess he finally realized how rude he was and said that he would move. I guess he wasnt trying to get rid of me, but it just seemed so odd.

There is a hierarchy among Maine's coastal folksIt goes like this: Lobsterman, clam digger, worm digger. Lucky you were only dealing with the clammer!! They're pretty reasonable!! A Lobsterman would have cut your decoy lines to protect his turf!!

Sent from my XT556 using Tapatalk 2

When you get to be my age, it's always a race to see if you'll piss inside or outside of your waders!!

Now now boys... there are people that have been on both sides of the hoe here.

Seaductor- you almost have the order right... but it is more like this: Offshore fishing then inshore fishing...then a LONG ways away, diggers- of which (I think we can all agree) Sandworm diggers are top, then clammers, then the dregs- bloodwormers...then, alewive netters, and last----weed pickers.

Having a digger in the family is a cultural event- and I was one. (Digging sandworms for 15 years put me through 2 college degrees, and about 200 gallons of Budweiser)... but it also proved to me I did not ever want to work this hard when I was older.

The digger a) should not have set up there, and b) should have left after seeing you. I would add, pissing a digger off is a simple way to get cut tires ...as I have had it happen.

How are you guys hunting over mud and pulling in ducks? This is something I have never had any luck with.

Yeah, I was woried about the tires (he kind of threatened that much) but the car ia in a well guarded location. BTW we left it ammecably... I think.

I drag a pond box to a point of vegetation and cover myself with grass mats. I use only full body blackies. I had them passing low overhead on their way into the flat... It was a blast. Some decoyed to a residual puddle at dead low, but I already pass shot one.

Of course if you can only get out a few days each season, you have to go. I' m spoiled being retired and able to pick my days. I went out close to 50 times between Sept 2nd and when we got froze out 10 days ago.

Sent from my XT556 using Tapatalk 2

When you get to be my age, it's always a race to see if you'll piss inside or outside of your waders!!

this is my first season hunting maine. I love learning how to hunt new areas and habitats. Tide flats are a whole new game for me. There are enough mallards and assorted other birds that I should be able to do betterr than one balckie per day next year. regardless, these spots are ten minutes away, so one bird is fine.

Of course if you can only get out a few days each season, you have to go. I' m spoiled being retired and able to pick my days. I went out close to 50 times between Sept 2nd and when we got froze out 10 days ago.

Sent from my XT556 using Tapatalk 2

You know, if you hadn't abandoned the salty black duck scene, you'd still be hunting.

Cool post and its crazy how similar the "salty" scene is to ours in New Brunswick. Diggers here are an unpredictable lot... Some being salt of the earth hard working people , others being junkies looking at filling some pails to get their next fix... I'd use caution when in a pissing match with one.

Before the encounter, I was noting what a tough job they have. I have a Chesapeake Bay waterman as an inlaw and used to work with the Maryland DNR on the eastern shore.... So I know the type and have a respect for them. I used to work on fishing boats in the summer, too.

Fatback wrote:Cool post and its crazy how similar the "salty" scene is to ours in New Brunswick. Diggers here are an unpredictable lot... Some being salt of the earth hard working people , others being junkies looking at filling some pails to get their next fix... I'd use caution when in a pissing match with one.

Sent from the smoker

I remember about 15 years ago going to Nova Scotia. The local news was constantly reporting rival clans of blood worm diggers having maelaes on the Fundy flats.

Hutch25 wrote:Now now boys... there are people that have been on both sides of the hoe here.

Seaductor- you almost have the order right... but it is more like this: Offshore fishing then inshore fishing...then a LONG ways away, diggers- of which (I think we can all agree) Sandworm diggers are top, then clammers, then the dregs- bloodwormers...then, alewive netters, and last----weed pickers.

Hutch

I respectfully take my place at the very bottom of the food chain.... A Volvo driving ducker with NY plates assumed to be a spineless yuppie. As Decoy Carver said, we actually have more in common trying to maintain our public access from private interests and over development. BTW I told them Ill have Maine tags and a proper truck by next season.

As Rodney King said -cant we all just " Move along "-- ( I now it's a miss quote !!)---maybe the next time you eat Clams-after you have pissed off (1)-Clamer--was the Flat closed before you ate them--all Fishermen are a tight group as it should be.I am like the Waterfowl I hunt-Migratory--} Just Move along "--Fishermen are great scouts ..